so am I the only one in Japan?

Remus

Moderator
Staff member
sure there are others from Japan from memory

unless theres something magic in the water that stops you getting SA 8)
 

jekins

New member
I'm in Japan

Hi there -- I live in Japan and I think I've developed a moderate case of Social Phobia disorder. When I was in college I had problems with heart palpitations and my doctor diagnosed me with General Anxiety Disorder, but after coming to Japan and getting glared at 24/7, I started to develop a crushing fear in public. I get dizzy sometimes (though I've mostly learned how to manage that), but worst of all my legs tense up badly and I lose my balance when passing people on the street. Sometimes my eyes cramp badly and I tear up when people are staring at me too. I searched on the net and found some therapists, but I don't really have the money :-(

I feel so frustrated, angry and lost all the time about how to get back my confident, old self. It seems silly to me that idiots make me so intimidated, but I still get debilitating symptoms constantly. I really wanna move back to the states, but my wife has a good job and I also ant to work through my problem. Is there anything that would help other than drugs and expensive therapy?
 
I'd love to visit Japan. I admire their engineering and electronics. Short list of Japanese products I use daily: Kawasaki Ninja 250, Toyota Tundra, Sony Walkman, Sony earbuds, Casio wristwatch, Nikon Coolpix camera, Panasonic A/V receiver, Sony Super-Audio CD player, Sony MP3 boombox. Also like lots of their films and anime.

But the Japanese aren't immune to SP. They call it Hikikomori.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hikikomori

The Vapors said:
I've got your picture of me and you
You wrote "I love you" I wrote "me too"
I sit there staring and there's nothing else to do
Oh it's in color Your hair is brown
Your eyes are hazel And soft as clouds
I often kiss you when there's no one else around

I've got your picture, I've got your picture
I'd like a million of you all round my cell
I want a doctor to take your picture
So I can look at you from inside as well
You've got me turning up and turning down
And turning in and turning 'round

I'm turning Japanese
I think I'm turning Japanese
I really think so
Turning Japanese
I think I'm turning Japanese
I really think so
I'm turning Japanese
I think I'm turning Japanese
I really think so
Turning Japanese
I think I'm turning Japanese
I really think so

I've got your picture, I've got your picture
I'd like a million of them all round my cell
I want the doctor to take a picture
So I can look at you from inside as well
You've got me turning up and turning down and turning in and turning 'round

I'm turning Japanese
I think I'm turning Japanese
I really think so
Turning Japanese
I think I'm turning Japanese
I really think so
I'm turning Japanese
I think I'm turning Japanese
I really think so
Turning Japanese
I think I'm turning Japanese
I really think so

No sex, no drugs, no wine, no women
No fun, no sin, no you, no wonder it's dark
Everyone around me is a total stranger
Everyone avoids me like a cyclone ranger
That's why I'm turning Japanese
I think I'm turning Japanese
I really think so
Turning Japanese
I think I'm turning Japanese
I really think so
I'm turning Japanese
I think I'm turning Japanese
I really think so
Turning Japanese
I think I'm turning Japanese
I really think so

Turning Japanese
I think I'm turning Japanese
I really think so
Turning Japanese
I think I'm turning Japanese
I really think so
Turning Japanese
I think I'm turning Japanese
I really think so
(think so think so think so)
Turning Japanese
I think I'm turning Japanese
I really think so
 

jekins

New member
A little different

Hikikomori is actually more like agoraphobia in my opinion. Hikikomori people actually can't bring themselves to go outside of their house. I guess in extreme cases SP can approach that, but usually not from what I've read.

But the Japanese society certainly does contribute to a lot of social disorders, lending evidence to the idea that environment plays a huge factor in development of these conditions, maybe even equally or moreso than biological factors (although my mother also suffers from GAD).

I think my case is unique, though, because I'm a 6'4" white guy with blue eyes in Japan. My SP, since I did not have it when I lived in America but developed it within 3 months of coming to Japan, has been almost completely triggered by the rude habit of Japanese people to stare incessantly at non-Japanese people and segregate them from social interaction. While I understand my condition exacerbates the sensation I'm being stared at and judged, in my case I actually am... which makes it all the harder to deal with. I think the cognitive therapy approach is used to expose sufferers to the reality that their fears of judgement and being stared at are unrealistic, whereas over here, there's nothing unrealistic about it. Any observer could watch a scene with me on a train or walking down the sidewalk here in Japan and blatantly see about half of all the Japanese people anywhere around staring, giving the occasional dirty look, pulling their children 'away to safety', or having rude conversations about me right in front of my face (which comes from the widespread belief by Japanese that their language is incomprehensible by anyone who doesn't look Japanese).

So what does someone in my case do? I don't think trying to trick myself into believing this stuff isn't really happening, and to an overwhelming degree all around me all the time in public, is going to be feasible. Anybody's too smart to deny it if they've spent even a short amount of time in Japan. It's on me to de-emphasize the importance of those idiots' actions. But I've been trying now for 3 years and still suffer increasingly worse symptoms.
 

Rodox

Well-known member
Yeah I know what you mean,I cant give any helpful advice sorry,also a lot of others foreigners dont help either,they play right in the stereotype,there used to be a lot of thefts where I am living ,with all the firing and closing down of filials right now,people jobless, its kinda getting a bit crazy again.
 
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